The present disclosure generally relates to a seating arrangement for a motor vehicle. Vehicles having two or three rows of seating are known to include sliding seats positioned behind a first row of seats. The sliding seats can be moved into a forward position to provide access to a rearward portion of the vehicle cabin located the behind the sliding row of seats. For example, vehicles having three rows of seating are known to provide increased passenger ingress and egress space to and from a third row of seating by sliding the second row of seating into the forward position. Vehicles having two rows of seating are also known to provide ingress and egress space to and from a cargo area located behind the second row of seating by sliding the second row of seating into the forward position.
To provide this increased ingress/egress space to the third row of seats or to the cargo area, complicated seating arrangements have been utilized. For example, a known seating arrangement for a vehicle includes a first row of seats, a second row of seats, and a third row of seats that are arranged lengthwise in order on a vehicle floor. A center seat is arranged to move axially in a fore-and-aft direction on parallel rails mounted on the vehicle floor. The center seat can slide between a rear position, where the center seat is positioned between the left and right seats of the third row of seat, and a front position, where the center seat is positioned between the left and right seats of the second row of seats. When in the rear position, a passenger can travel to the third row of seats through the opening provided between the left and right seats in the second row of seats.
Another vehicle seating arrangement includes a rear seat assembly that nests or spoons against a front seat assembly. In this arrangement, however, a base of the rear seat assembly slides underneath a base of the front seat assembly, which requires the rear seat assembly to both pivot and slide with respect to the vehicle floor.
Another known vehicle seating arrangement includes rear passenger seat positioned behind a driver's seat and another passenger seat alongside the driver's seat. Each of the two rear passenger seats includes a lower seat part that is pivoted in relation to a backrest part so that the lower seat part can assume a folded up position against the backrest part. When in the folded up position, the two rear passenger seats can slide toward a forward position toward the driver's seat and the passenger seat alongside the driver's seat.